These Indian Ad Campaigns Won More Than Just Accolades At Cannes Lions 2016

19/07/2016 4:53 PM IST
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Updated
20/07/2016 11:03 AM IST

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From a revolutionary app to India's first transgender band, these heartwarming campaigns by Indian ad firms won more than just accolades at the Cannes Lions Festival 2016.

It has been a great year for Indian advertising at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, the world's most prestigious awards show for the creative communications industry. India bagged a whopping 27 medals in various categories and for the first time, an Indian agency, Medulla Communications, bagged the 'Healthcare Agency of the Year' title at the festival.

The one thing that stood out in this year's outing is that all the winning campaigns were creatively crafted and stood for values above and beyond the product or service itself. Here are a few thought-provoking video campaigns that didn't just win awards at the Cannes Lions Festival 2016 but also captured the hearts and minds of the audiences.

1. Last Words

Made for the Indian Association of Palliative Care by Medulla Communications, this video campaign is an effort to build awareness about palliative (end-of-days) care through digital and social media. People usually do not like talking about the inevitability of death and dying, especially for patients with serious illness. It often happens that their 'last words' are heard by nurses rather than their family members. This emotional video features eight nurses who share the last words of their dying patients in a campaign that leaves a lump in the throat.

2. Slums for Worms

Worm infestation is a health issue that affects 1 in 2 Indians. Though it has serious long-term impact like fatigue, weight loss, malnutrition, and anaemia, it is usually ignored or taken for granted. Using the uncanny similarities between slums and worms (just like intestinal worms, slums set up overnight, grow in any available shape and space, and stay forever), Medulla Communications decided to create an ad campaign that draws attention to this malady by making people visualise worms in human intestines.

3. The Dancing Letters

This Mccann Worldgroup video campaign is part of a project that is trying to bridge the gap between children suffering from the learning disability dyslexia (which affects 1 in 10 children) and other children. Maharashtra Dyslexia Association has handed out interactive The Dancing Letters books to dyslexic kids to help them comprehend the distinction between similar-looking letters, symbols, and numbers. The book also helps parents, teachers and caregivers appreciate their problems in comprehension while giving solutions to them.

4. Blood Banking

J. Walter Thompson's Blood Banking video campaign is about an app that is changing the way traditional blood banks work. The Blood Banking app allows people to save their own blood in a Blood Bank account, withdraw it for themselves or transfer it to someone in need, all at the touch of a button. It also includes the ability to schedule blood donation appointments and to keep a record of one's blood balance. The Blood Banking app has already activated over 132,000 blood banking accounts, and over 100,000 units of blood have been collected through it by the Indian Red Cross Society.

5. Sons of Vikrant

An emotional video tribute to INS Vikrant by Bajaj Motorcycles and mediahouse Leo Burnett , Sons of Vikrant is stirring documentary that evokes nostalgia about the legendary warship. The video brings together stories shared by war veterans who served aboard INS Vikrant. Bajaj Motorcycles had bought some parts of the metal from INS Vikrant when the ship was commissioned for scrapping and moulded it into the bodies of their new motorcycle model, 'Bajaj V, The Invincible'.

6. Make Love Not Scars- Beauty Tips By Reshma

The Ogilvy and Mather campaign for Make Love Not Scars organisation is a series of three videos in which a real acid attack survivor shares beauty tips and urges people to sign a petition for enforcing a ban on the over-the-counter sale of acid in India. The video campaign triggered global conversation and support for the cause, and more than 300,000 people have signed the petition addressed to the Prime Minister of India. Make Love Not Scars (MLNS) is an NGO that works to provide opportunities to acid attack survivors to regain their life on their own terms.

7. 6 Pack Band

Backed by Hindustan Unilever and launched by Y-films, this video campaign is breaking some well-established industry norms while battling prejudice and discrimination against the transgender community. Asha Jagtap, Bhavika Patel, Chandni Suvarnakar, Fida Khan, Komal Jagtap, and Ravina Jagtap are members of India's first transgender pop music band, whose campaign is making quite an impact with its extraordinary outreach.

8. Dads #ShareTheLoad

The video Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg called one of the most powerful she'd ever seen, BBDO's #ShareTheLoad campaign for Ariel Matic encourages men to do their fair share of housework. The video story is told from the perspective of a father who watches his career-minded daughter come home from work and clean up for her husband. He then composes a letter to his daughter, in which he laments the fact that his own behaviour has contributed to her situation and vows to change it by helping out at home.

9. Dipper Condoms

Rediffusion Y&R's 'Dipper Condoms' campaign for Tata Motors aims to promote safe sex among truck drivers in India by reaching out to them in a language they understand best. The inspiration behind the creation of the colourfully packaged Dipper Condom was the message 'Use dipper at night', which is painted on the backs of six million trucks in India. In association with HLL Lifecare and the National Aids Control program, the condoms are being distributed at medical clinics, service centres, restaurants, and petrol pumps frequented by truckers on the remote highways of India.

10. The Khali Story

Featuring WWE heavyweight champion Khali, this Ambuja Cement advertisement takes a humorous approach to show how Khali's famous strength turns out to be his biggest problem. The video has several instances from Khali's life – such as gym workouts, leaning onto a wall, or having dinner – which hilariously turn out to be disastrous for his family and friends. Designed and conceptualized by Publicis India, this unique creative campaign went viral and was widely appreciated.

This article is shared by Jaitali Dedhia, Head Marketing & Brand Solutions, The Better India - A media platform, dedicated to showcasing the brighter side of India.